Neptunes rout Ta’ Xbiex for second consecutive win

Neptunes cantered to another easy victory over Ta’ Xbiex to chalk up their second consecutive win. The 21-4 hiding said it all. The side altered the tempo of their game and scored almost at will to leave their opponents bewildered.

Their second encounter was a replica of the first when Neptunes strolled past Exiles with ease – 14-6.

A victory for the superior Neptunes was a foregone conclusion and there was only one team in it, with the hapless Ta’ Xbiex conceding a deluge of goals.

Ta’ Xbiex are effectively a Sliema ‘B’ team, made up of youth players and other fringe candidates under the helm of former Sliema player Christian Presciutti.

It was 10-1 halfway through after which Jovan Popovic, for the Balluta Bay side, made wholesale substitutions. Yet, there was no respite in their scoring rate, reaching the 20-goal target two minutes from time.

Four Neptunes players – Steve Camilleri, Gabriel Pace, Jake Muscat and the youngster Mark Castillo scored a hat-trick to end up as their team’s top scorers.

Likewise, in the same Group A, Marsaskala registered an easy victory over Otters.

The match had Otters getting off to a brisk start with seasoned player Charlie Zammit cancelling out Jeanclaude Cutajar’s first goal. However, a rapid three-goal spree from Mark Carani swayed the match the other way.
Marsaskala went on a scoring spree before finally allowing Otters to salvage pride when winning the last session 3-2.

Besides avenging last Saturday’s 12-6 defeat at the hands of Sliema, the South Seasiders have moved to second position in Group A alongside Sliema and Exiles and three adrift of leaders Neptunes.

PLAYED YESTERDAY

NEPTUNES 21
TA’ XBIEX 4
(4-1, 6-0, 4-1, 7-2)

NEPTUNES: A. Borg Cole,
J. Muscat 3, L. Calleja, G. Pace 3, M. Castillo 3, J. Spiteri Staines 1, S. Camilleri 3, J. Camilleri 1, J. Abela 1, M. Spiteri Staines 2, A. Fenech 2, S. Gialanze 1, A. Bugeja, M. Farrugia, R. Galea 1.
TA’ XBIEX: M. Vassallo, R. Greco, Z. Cutajar Licari, J. Pace Mizzi, J. Cassar 1, M. de Marco, J. Saliba, J. Cutajar, K. Borg, S. Azzopardi, E. Schembri, D. Rizzo 3, A. Theuma, S. Engerer.
Referees: P. Balzan, N. Mercieca.

MARSASKALA 9
OTTERS 5
(2-1, 2-0, 3-1, 2-3)

MARSASKALA: J. Micallef, JC Cutajar 2, A. Camenzuli, P. Privitera, G. Sammut, L. Grixti , K. Navarro 2, M. Manara , S. Micallef, L. Felice , J. Ciantar 2, M. Carani 3, A. Muscat, G. Galea, D. Camilleri.
OTTERS: M. Xerri, C. Spiteri de Barro , M. Lanzon, L. Hyzler 1 , E. Meli 1, M. Farrugia, K. Scicluna, G. Mizzi, D. Dimech, C. Zammit 2, Z. Bartolo, O. Zammit, D. Spiteri, L. Gialanze 1.
Referees: M. Angilieri, R. Spiteri.